I was always petite and athletic growing up. Captain of the Cheerleading Squad, great at Track and Field. Easy-peasy. I gained some weight in college from eating junk, but that remedied itself over time and when I graduated I was a svelte 128 pounds. That's when I met my husband and although the best time of my life was about to begin, my body started going downhill.

After we were married, we tried to have children and I was diagnosed with PCOS. Infertility meds, bedrest and just plain eating too much led to massive weight gain before I delivered our 1st son. I didn't gain as much with #2, and although I wasn't tiny afterwards, I felt pretty good. When we moved to Virginia in 2009, my whole life was turned upside down. I HATED IT HERE. I felt like everything I loved and the things that defined me were left in South Carolina. I ate, and baked, and ate, and cooked....rinse/repeat...until I got up to 187 pounds at the beginning of this year. That is more than I weighed when I delivered my oldest.

Fast forward to May 2011 and with the help of super-motivater, KG, I got my butt to the YMCA and set out on my 100-Day Challenge of eating right and working out. I was losing weight like crazy and finding that my once-athletic body was starting to remember!!

As it always does with weight loss, it has tapered off, and although it would be "even" to get to 60 pounds, my body is done. Today I have officially reached my goal. I wanted to accomplish 3 things, and today all of them have been checked off my list. 1.) Weighing 133, my wedding weight. I've surpassed this by 5 pounds. 2.) Wearing size 4/6 clothing. Also surpassed. 3.) Reduce body fat%. Today I was measured at 19.5%. :-D

Thank you to ALL who have inspired me, helped me along the way with kind words, great tips and just a pick-me-up when I really needed it. I've been blessed with a husband who has been with me 100% and made my health the #1 priority in our house. My YMCA is like a second home, filled with instructors and friends who I can't wait to see each time I step through the doors.

I have not reached "perfection"...because it does not exist. I will always have stretchmarks and what I like to call "The Mommy Doughnut". LOL I didn't lose weight evenly across my whole body, although that would be wonderful! ;-) But I am happy with me. I can move and groove with the best of them now. I can out run my kids, wrestle with my beast of a German Shepherd and enjoy being the young, spunky chica that I feel like on the inside.

P.S. My plan in a nutshell was Calorie Counting, slowly adjusting back into working out, doing a wide variety of excercises and sticking to plan EVERY DAY. I've been slowly upping my calories over the past few months to maintenance level of 1800/day. And i now workout 3-4 times a week. This seems very reasonable to do for many years to come!

I posted some of these in the Mini-Goals, but here is my journey:

Me at my heaviest, winter 2010-2011:

About half-way there. Summer 2011

Really feelin' it, Fall 2011:

Being silly for a Halloween Zumba class. One of my fave new workouts!

Here are pics taken yesterday. I bought a bikini for the first time in my married life of 7 years. Those pants were all I've kept, and they used to be T-I-G-H-T. (And I just got done working out, so forgive the hair. LOL)

At goal...the quintessential weight-loss photo with big pants! LOL

UPDATED March 2012:After a few more months of toning up and a long-awaited breast augmentation. Ready for summer and THE REST OF MY LIFE.

UPDATE: October 2012
I have been maintaining for almost one year and my weight has stayed within a five pound range. I continue to workout about 2-3 times per week, whenever my migraines allow. It was a very rough summer! I still count calories. My overall shape and definition have remained the same. Here is a picture from this month...excuse the angry, overly-focused expression! Lol

Thank you to all of the 3FC members who have given me guidance, laughs and support. Love you!

Thank you for sharing your story!! So Inspirational!! Congratulations...you look great and I like to hear that you didn't take any shortcuts, just hard work, working out, and watching your calories. Just curious--when you were losing weight, about how many calories were you eating a day and how often were you working out? Did you limit carbs/sugar or just rely mostly on calroie counting? I have about 40 lbs to lose and trying to find the best plan for me! Right now I am doing Wonderslim and eating a lean meal for dinner (meat & veggies). Any tips or things that worked best for you would be helpful to all of us!!